WWE Smackdown Results
December 18, 2018
Fresno, California
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves
Results by: Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com
Smackdown Live makes a big change
Smackdown Live kicks off with Shane McMahon and the Smackdown roster backstage. Shane is addressing the roster where he mentions last night’s “fresh start” on Raw for WWE. Shane says they need to put out the best possible product for the WWE Universe. He says it all starts tonight. Shane says he would like to thank the former general manager Paige, confirming a big change.
He welcomes her next to him as the roster chants thank you Paige.
Becky Lynch’s music hits and she comes down to the ring. Becky says she doesn’t care who’s running the show because the man is in charge. She says she is out here with the people because this is where the real business is conducted. And the only thing she wants from the McMahon family is for them to deliver her the Raw women’s champion Ronda Rousey. Becky says when she went to Ronda face to face, made her tap and took her in the ring. But at TLC, Ronda pushed her off the ladder.
Charlotte Flair’s music hits and out she comes. Charlotte tells Becky to take a number and that number is 2 and stand behind the queen. Because Ronda stole her opportunity at TLC. Becky says her days of standing behind her are long gone. Charlotte says but her days of looking up to her are then, now and forever. The odds are that had Ronda not been there, she would have been the 8 time women’s champion.
Smackdown Women’s Champion Asuka’s music hits. Asuka stands between Charlotte and Becky and she says to forget Ronda, Asuka is the champion. Charlotte says she should thank Ronda, Becky says she never beat her.
Vince McMahon’s music plays and out comes the Chairman. Vince says on behalf of WWE, he would like to say Happy Holiday’s to everyone in the arena and the entire Universe. And congratulations to the new Smackdown women’s champion Asuka. Vince asks Becky why she’s angry, why she’s making excuses for herself. And Charlotte as well. Vince says they were in a TLC match, anything goes and Ronda Rousey got involved. And Ronda said she would write the next chapter in their careers. Vince says to get over it and if they have a problem, to take it out on Ronda Rousey.
Vince asks Asuka how she would like to defend her title tonight. Vince asks if anyone is ready for Asuka. Naomi’s music hits and out she comes. Naomi says that Charlotte had her chances and Becky was the man and she wants the title. Vince says to have the match.
-Commercial Break-
Smackdown Women’s Championship
Asuka (c) vs. Naomi
The bell rings and we are under way with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at ring side. A head lock take down by Naomi but Asuka reverses it into a scissor lock. Naomi gets out of it as both women stand up. Both women go for a drop kick at the same time. A kick to the back by Naomi. She goes for another kick but Asuka catches it and tries an ankle lock but Naomi gets out of it. A kick to the back by Asuka onto Naomi.
An elbow to the face by Naomi as she climbgs the second rope. Asuka follows her onto the ropes and gets an arm bar lock in. She yells at Charlotte and Becky but Naomi hits her with a Russian leg sweep from the second rope.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Naomi is down in the ring as Asuka climbs the top rope. A drop kick from behind by Asuka hits Naomi in the back. Naomi rolls to the outside as Asuka follows her and kicks her around. Asuka sends Naomi to the barricade but Naomi jumps on the barricade and with a spin kick hits Asuka. Both women roll back into the ring. Forearms by both women but Asuka lands a knee to the face. She runs towards Naomi but Naomi uses the ropes to jump and hit Asuka in the side of the face.
Naomi with a spring legged moonsault but Asuka gets her knees up and gets the Asuka lock in. Naomi stands up and pushes hers off the turnbuckle. She goes for a roll-up cover but Asuka reverses it into the Asuka lock. Naomi gets out of it and gets a roll-up but Asuka kicks out. Naomi hits her with the rear view. She goes for the cover but Asuka kicks out again.
With Asuka down, Naomi jumps off the top rope but Asuka counters it hitting Naomi with a double knee. She gets the Asuka lock in and Naomi taps out.
Winner and still Smackdown Women’s Champion: Asuka
Backstage, The Miz knocks on a door which has the “McMahon Family” title next to it. Vince McMahon opens it asking him what kind of knock that is. The Miz asks if Shane is around, Vince says he can’t come out to play. Miz says they’ve been having some trust issues but Vince of all people should know The Miz is always there. He gets carried away sometimes but he thinks if he and Shane team together, they could be the best tag team in the world. Vince asks what he wants him to do about it. The Miz says he is a worthy partner for his son and he is just asking for his blessing. Vince says he’s never given a blessing in his life, he doesn’t believe in that. But he says The Miz can prove himself. He’ll come up with a team and The Miz finds a partner and we’ll see how good The Miz really is. Vince says he found a partner for him and Vince shuts the door in The Miz’s face.
-Commercial Break-
Backstage, Rusev is with Lana and Rusev says he is the definition of a WWE superstar and he crushed Shinsuke. He is handsome, he’s a hunk, he has big biceps, he’s a superstar, an athlete and he has a nice beard. Rusev asks if she has seen the way Shinsuke looks lately. He says Nakamura looks like Sonic The Hedgehog. Rusev says he will get his hands on Nakamura and he will get his WWE United States title on the greatest day of them all, Rusev Day.
Jeff Hardy comes down to the ring. Jeff says he heard Samoa Joe wants to apologize to him. The past few weeks, Joe has been trying to get under his skin. Jeff says he’s been weak and made mistakes but that was then and this is now. He says he wakes up every day, looks in the mirror and worships the fact that he is alive, well and here. Jeff says he wants to hear the apologize face to face.
Samoa Joe comes down and tells Jeff that he is sorry. He is sorry because this is no apology. He says this is an intervention. Joe tells Jeff that himself and the WWE Universe are very worried because it’s the holiday’s and someone of his fragile condition is vulnerable. Jeff says enough. The more he is reminded of his past, the more he reminds himself that he is never going back there. Jeff says he sees right through him.
Jeff tells Joe that he attacks people’s weaknesses to hide his insecurities. Is it the fact that he has been here for 2 years and had 1 championship? Joe goes to attack Jeff but Jeff Hardy lands the Twist of Fate.
-Commercial Break-
Mixed Tag Team Match
The Miz & Mandy Rose vs. R-Truth & Carmella
R-Truth gets on the microphone and says they won the Mix Match Challenge and they can’t wait to take on The Miz and Maryse.
The bell rings and we are under way. Mandy Rose and Carmella start off the match. Carmella with a drop kick. Mandy tags The Miz in. The Miz goes for a hiptoss but R-Truth takes The Miz down. The Miz gets up and a clothesline by R-Truth takes The Miz to the outside. Carmella gets in the ring and a dance break as R-Truth and Carmella dance.
Mandy gets in the ring and Carmella hits her with a super kick as Carmella kicks Mandy out. In comes The Miz from behind who nails R-Truth with The Skull Crushing Finale. He goes for the cover and gets the 3 count.
Winners: The Miz & Mandy Rose
-Commercial Break-
The Usos come out and they mention that no matter how much things change, The Usos will always run Smackdown Live. And at TLC they didn’t win the titles because they didn’t get pinned. They call out The Bar but Luke Gallows and Anderson come out. They talk about how week after week it’s The Usos, The New Day and The Bar. They mention about how last week there was a rap battle but The Good Brothers haven’t been on Smackdown since August. That’s 4 months they have been on the side lines but no more. It’s time to clean house.
The Usos say that they aren’t the reason they fell through the cracks but around here, if you don’t step up, you get stepped on. And it’s either they step up or they turn around because The Usos aren’t moving for anyone. The Good Brothers walk towards the ring.
In comes a referee to separate the two but the time keeper says that the McMahon family have confirmed that The Usos against The Good Brothers will happen right now.
-Commercial Break-
The Usos vs. The Good Brothers
Back from commercial and Anderson is in the ring with a head lock on Jimmy who tries to fight out of it. Anderson sends Jimmy into the corner as Gallows is tagged in. He beats on Jimmy and goes for the cover but Jimmy kicks out. Gallows a head lock onto Jimmy. Gallows sends Jimmy to the corner and goes for a big boot but Jimmy moves out of the way as Gallows hits the turnbuckle. The tag is made by both teams and Jay beats on Anderson. A Samoan drop by Jay. With Anderson in the corner, Jay runs towards him but Anderson moves out of the way. He hits a neck breaker onto Jay and goes for the cover but Jay kicks out.
Gallows is tagged in. He lifts Jay on his shoulders as Jimmy pulls Anderson out of the ring. Jay gets out of it but a sit down power bomb by Gallows. He goes for the cover but Jay kicks out. Gallows goes for a splash on Jay but he moves out of the way. Jimmy is tagged in. Both men in the ring as Gallows is leaning on the ropes. Anderson tags himself in as The Usos clothesline Gallows to the outside. Jimmy goes for a suicide dive but Anderson kicks him in the face.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Jimmy is in the ring with Anderson as both men are on the top rope. Anderson goes for a suplex but Jimmy with right hands as he pushes Anderson down. Jimmy jumps off and catches Gallows with a super kick. He turns around and hits Anderson with a super kick. Jimmy Uso climbs the top rope as The Bar’s music hits. Out come Sheamus and Cesaro. Jimmy with a big splash on Anderson. He goes for the cover but SAnitY come out and break the count. They beat on Gallows, Anderson and The Usos as The Bar watch from the outside. SAnitY walk past The Bar as Ashley Young tells The Bar that they beat them to it.
The Bar get in the ring and beat on Anderson, Gallows and The Usos.
Winners: No Contest
WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura is backstage and asks if he should be afraid of Rusev. A clip of Rusev on Total Divas airs where he’s shown milking a cow, laughing, joking and dressed as a clown. Nakamura says that Rusev isn’t a title contender, he’s a total diva.
-Commercial Break-
It’s announced that Shane McMahon will be the guest on next week’s Miz TV. Also announced is Rusev against Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States title and Jeff Hardy against Samoa Joe.
Daniel Bryan gets in the ring and says he killed the yes movement. And on Sunday, he destroyed the house that AJ Styles built. But unlike the people in the arena, he is not about destruction. He is about creation, creation of something better. And here on Smackdown Live, he is creating a brave new world. And he understands that the people won’t like it because they fear change.
Bryan says the city of Fresno ranks number 1 in pollution in the state of California. Bryan says the people wouldn’t know wisdom if it was pumped with GMO’s and handed to them through a drive through window.
Tag Team Main Event
AJ Styles & Mustafa Ali vs. WWE Champion Daniel Bryan & Andrade “Cien” Almas
The bell rings and we are under way. AJ Styles is in the ring with Andrade Almas. A back elbow by Andrade onto Styles. He goes for the cover but AJ Styles kicks out. A knee to the stomach by Andrade but Styles with a right hand. A drop kick by AJ Styles as both men are down. Styles with a tag as Mustafa Ali comes in. Ali off the top rope and lands on Andrade. An arm bar by Ali but a right hand by Andrade. Ali tries to go for a cover but Andrade gets out of it and backs Ali into the corner as Daniel Bryan is tagged in.
Daniel Bryan with kicks onto Ali who is down in the corner. A big slap by Bryan who locks in a standing submission onto Ali who gets out of it but Bryan tags Almas in. Almas taunts AJ Styles with Ali down. Andrade with a big slap to the chest of Ali. Almas tags Daniel Bryan back in and Bryan with a chop to the chest. He sends Ali to the corner, Bryan goes running towards him but Ali moves out of the way. Ali grabs Daniel Bryan and smashes his head face first into the ring mat. Daniel Bryan slides to the outside. Andrade gets in the ring but Ali takes him out. Ali jumps over the top rope and onto Daniel Bryan and Andrade Almas.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial break and Daniel Bryan has Mustafa Ali in a modified Walls of Jericho. Ali kicks out of it but Bryan tags Almas in. Almas off the top rope with a splash onto Ali. He goes for the cover but Ali kicks out. AAlmas with a half crab. Almas lets go of the hold and kicks Ali in the back of the neck. He goes for the cover but Ali with a kick out. Almas tags Daniel Bryan into the match.
A kick to the chest by Daniel Bryan. He sends Ali to the ropes but a kick to the face by Ali. Right hands by Ali but a clothesline by Daniel Bryan takes Ali down. A Mexican surfboard by Daniel Bryan and Bryan reverses it into the dragon sleeper. Ali reaches the bottom rope. Andrade Almas is tagged in. A right hand by Ali as he lifts Ali and drops him onto the mat. He goes for the cover but again Ali kicks out.
Andrade Almas lifts Ali up but Ali reverses it with a hurricanrana. Both men get up but a big clothesline by Almas. With Ali down, Almas climbs the top rope and goes for a moon sault but Ali gets his knees up.
AJ Styles is tagged in and as is Daniel Bryan. A big right hand and a clothesline by Styles. With Bryan in the corner, a splash by AJ Styles followed by a neck breaker. He goes for the cover but Daniel Bryan kicks out. Styles gets on the ring apron, he goes for the Phenomenal Forearm but Bryan moves out of the way. AJ locks in the calf crusher but Almas breaks it up.
Andrade Almas goes for the hammer lock DDT but Styles lifts Almas over the top rope onto the outside. Mustafa Ali on the outside with a hurricanrana takes Almas down. Bryan runs towards Styles but Styles moves out of the way and Bryan hits the turnbuckle. AJ Styles goes for the Styles Clash but a big kick by Daniel Bryan. Both men get up, Bryan runs towards Styles but Styles hits him with a boot. Styles climbs the top rope, jumps and lands a neck breaker. Styles tags Ali in. Ali with a spinning DDT onto Daniel Bryan. Ali climbs the top rope but Almas climbs behind him. Ali knocks Almas down. The Phenomenal Forearm by Styles onto Almas. Mustafa Ali lands the inverted 450 splash onto Daniel Bryan. He goes for the cover and gets the 3 count.